Edmund beckee



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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, EDMUND BECKER, of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful improvement in Rooting; and I do hereby declare that the 'following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make .and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification Zinc has long been known, owing to its lightness and cheapness, as well as its durability, to be a metal most suitable for the covering of the roofs of buildings, but its use 'heretofore has been impossible in consequence of the dithcult'y experienced `to give it sufficient solidity and yet allow the necessary expansion and contraction to the metal when subjected to the'extreme variations in the temperature of the atmosphere. These variations of temperature in the'roof of abuilding, although but comparatively slight,'are yet important in their eiects. If a roof is covered in spring the heat of the summer necessarily expands it, and thus the surface, smooth at irst, becomes crimped or crinkled; \when, the cold weather approaching, contraction occurs. But this con` traction does not smooththe metallic sheets andas their crimping by the heat still remains', which, of course, shortened them, they become still further shortened by the cold atmosphere, and therefore4 must crack or break at some one point or another;'this fact'destroying all the reliability and practicability of soldered metallic roofs, and especially those constructed ,of zinc. To obviate these dilhculties has long been attempted, but, for various reasons, never successfully, three important conditions, as is obvious, being necessary and essential to a metallic roof or covering for buildings, viz: rst, solidity; second, impermeability; and, third, freedom from the injury now occasioned by the expansion and contraction of .the metal from the variations in the temperature of the atmosphere and in the present invention the above conditions are fulfilled or maintained.

In accompanying plate of drawings my improvement in roofing is illustrated-- Figure 1 being a plan or top view of a roof made according thereto, with portions broken out to show its construction more fully. v

Figure 2 is a partial end View of fig. 1, and transverse section taken in the plane of the line x x', tig. 1

Figures 3, 4, and 5, detail views to' be hereinafter referred to.

Similar letters `of reference indicate like parts. K v

A, in the drawings, is a zinc metallic sheet of the usual size found in the trade, but with its two sides, a and b, bent or lapped over (one, a, upward,.an.d the other, b, downward) into the form of hooks; the two other sides, c and cl, being bent upward and vertical. At or near the middle of the upright sides c and d, but both at the same-distance from the base, similar notches, h, are cut, about which, in case the declivity of the roof should be great, and also as a matter of precaution, the zinc should be Istrengthened by increasing its thickness, or in any other proper manner. When the metallic sheet is to extend to the. gutter -its tu-rned-over edge ais to be engaged with a groove, e, of the joist F, and there fastened by one or more nails at or near the middle part of the sheet with small pieces of metal, f, soldered on to it as extensions of the upright sides c and d, iig. 2; but, if the sheet isto be placed at the ridge of the roof, the side b is to be bent over. B B are the binding-bars, a quite important feature of my improved roofing embraced herein, one of which barsis shown in transverse section in fig. 5, and the manner in which they are ixedt'o the framework of the roof. These bars B consist of a square piece of Wood, to which the required form isgiven in any propermanner, their length Ibeing equal to the distance from the summit of the roof to its gutter, but they could, however, be made in two or more parts or sections. At certain distances, and accordingr to the declivity of the roof, the bars B are fastened to the rafters on which they rest, by' a strongwire, g. At points corresponding to the notches L of the metallic sheets A, wire pins lc are horizontally driven (see iig. 5) through the bars B, and, for protecting the latter, sheets of zinc are used, but not nailed all around them. These sheets, being once curved or bent, remain so, and when laid upon the bars B are prevented from slipping by the pins h driven through such bars. l

The mode of laying the roof or metallic covering is as follows:

The rows of sheets A are first laid on the surface of the roof, from its gutter to its summit or ridge, with a space, c, between each two, say of about one and one-quarter inches in width. In each row the edge a of the first sheet is inserted in the groove e of the `ioist F, the edge a of the second sheet being hooked or interlocked with the edge 5 of the first, etc., care beingl taken at each interlocking point to allow suicient play for con?v traction. When the above is completed the wires g of the bars B are introduced in the rafters, iig. 1, and the said bars so laid that the upright sides on edges c and d of lthe sheets will enter the grooves `at each side of the bar B, (see tig. 5,) and they pins c pass throgh the notches 7L, when, if the wires lc are iirrnlyftied or twisted under the rafters, the following result is secured, viz: The sheets can freely expand and contract in their diniensions, being free nearly one-eighth of an inch at each side; and,`moreover, the sheets, at each of their` notches L, are allowed the same freedom of action, the hooked parts a and Z1 coming, more or less, one upon the other, according to the temperature; and with a declivity of roof of onetwelfth,at least, impermeability is fully secured.

By examining my system of roofing it will be apparent that the action of the wind on the metallic sheets has no cil'ect, the wind, by striking the intersections of the several sheets, being brought by the bent edge Z7 under the groove of the binding-bars B, which, being firmly fixed to the rafters, and, besides, presenting very little surface, thestrongest gusts of Wind can be sustained.

The bars of the summit or ridge of the roof, being more exposed to the wind, have a broader base and no pins. The sheets A are bent upright and play freelyin grooves oi' the bar, the two descending bars being covered by a common s heet of zinc, which is rolled on and around the summit-bar. The summit or ridge bars, being horizontal, the space between the points of meeting of the bars or their contiguousv ends is covered by sheets of metal hooked one on and to the other; these meansproviding for the dilations of thev metal and at the same time giving an impermeable joint.

It is obvious that my principle of construction of roof, applied with care and a knowledge of how to do it, can be made to conform toevery shape of roof, whether the roof` has one or more surfaces, the rooting being exceeding cheap and simple in construction, and costing much less than the soldering-roofs, as. heretofore practised. Moreover, as is obvious, myv rooting needs no flooring; the rafters, to secure the binding-barsB upolr one or two intermediate light jostsparallel to and between the rafters, being sufficient'. To cause the' metallic sheets to lie smooth, sloping pieces c are nailed on the rafters and intermediate joists. The principal work of preparing the roof can be done in-doors, so that the setting or laying of the roof will present few diiliculties. It .is best to make the wires g and c of brass, as Athe presence of iron is prejudicial to the zinc.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The bars B constructed substantiallyin the manner -and secured at their base to the rafters of the roof as and'for the purpose described.

2. The pins 7: driven into the bars B in combination with the notched plates A, substantially as described .and for the purpose specified. h

3. The construction of the metallic sheets A, provided at their upright sides with notches 7L, and securedto the roof by the bars B, so as to have full liberty to expand and contract in all directions as and for the purpose Set forth.

ED. BECKER.

Witnesses H. NUPFER, P. HOFFMAN. 

